Door knob cover



Sept- 26, 1967 M. M. RUBIN V 3,343,578

DOOR KNOB COVER Filed May 14, 1965 Ira/6714 221? NarreMlZzzbzLm @ymww ga United States Patent Ofilice 3,343,578 Patented Sept. 26, 1967 3,343,578 DOOR KNOB COVER Morris M. Rubin, M. Rubin & Co., Inc., 325 N. Water St., Milwaukee, Wis. 53202 Filed May 14, 1965, Ser. No. 455,908 1 Claim. (Cl. 15052) This invention relates to door knob covers and methods of making the same.

The primary object of the invention is to provide a new and improved door knob cover and a novel method for making door knob covers.

More specifically it is an object of the invention to form from a flat piece of flexible material a generally polygonally shaped door knob cover that is pleasing to the eye and having resilient yieldable means thereon for enabling the cover to be placed on a door knob and thereafter surrounding the shaft of the door knob to maintain the cover thereon.

Another object of the invention is the provision of such a door knob cover wherein the flexible material is comprised of a fabric and wherein the corners between the sides of a cubically shaped door knob cover adjacent the base thereof comprise seams which are sewn together in a manner such that the stitches are substantially entirely within the center of the cubical shape so as not to detract from the appearance of the cover.

Yet another object of the invention is the provision of such a door knob cover wherein the resilient yieldable means is formed of elastic tape and is sewn to the fabric comprising the cubical shape such that the stitching thereof is substantially wholly within the center of the cubical shape.

Still another object of the invention is the provision of such a door knob cover wherein the interior of the cubical shape is provided with a coating for increasing the friction between the cover and a door knob on which it may be placed such that the cover, when grasped and twisted to cause a door to be opened, will not slip on the door knob.

A still further object of the invention is the provision of such a door knob cover wherein such a coating is applied to the fabric prior to the fabrication of the cover so as to rigidify the fabric and improve its handling characteristics during the various steps of construction thereof.

Another object of the invention is a method of making a polygonally shaped door knob cover wherein a polygonal blank is formed from a flexible material, the interior angle between each of the sides of the polygonal blank is determined, an angular notch is formed in each of the corners of the olygonal blank, the angle of each of the notches generally being equal to 180 minus the interior angle between each of the sides, the sides of the notches are secured together, and a resilient element is secured to the periphery of the blank.

Another object of the invention is a method of making a polygonal cover for a door knob by providing a generally polygonal blank having a notch at each corner thereof with the edges of the notches being generally transverse to the respective sides of the blank in which they are formed, securing the edges of the notches together, securing a resilient element to the periphery of the blank, and turning the resulting structure inside out to cause the securing means to be within the confines of the resulting structure to hide them from view.

Yet another object of the invention is the provision of such methods wherein the periphery of the blank is shirred.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will be apparent from the following description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings in which:

FIGURE 1 is a perspective view of a door knob cover made according to the invention and mounted on a door knob;

FIGURE 2 is a plan view of a blank used in fabricating an exemplary form of the invention;

FIGURE 3 is a perspective view of one stage in the fabrication of such a door knob cover;

FIGURE 4 is a perspective view of a subsequent stage in the fabrication of such a door knob cover;

FIGURE 5 is a perspective view of a still later stage in the fabrication of such a door knob cover; and

FIGURE 6 is a perspective view of such a door knob cover in a completed form.

An exemplary form of a door knob cover made according to the invention is shown in FIGURE 1 and is generally designated 10. The door knob cover 10 is formed in a generally cubical shape. Of course, it will be recognized that suitable non-cubical shapes, for example, three dimensional triangular or pentagonal shapes may be used. Preferably, however, the general shape of a cube is used as such a shape embodies the best combination of the characteristics of presenting a noncircular shape that is aesthetically pleasing to the eye, conforming sufficiently to the shape of a door knob so as to minimize slippage therebetween, and simplicity of construction.

The cube 10 is formed from any suitable flexible covering material, preferably a fabric, and includes a base 12 having a plurality of adjacent sides 14, 16, 18, 20. Preferably, all such sides are of a generally rectangular configuration. Additionally, the side opposite (as opposed to adjacent) the base 12 is open so as to permit disposition of the door knob cover 10 on a door knob. Of course, the center of the cube is hollow and is of such a size as to suitably accommodate a door knob as will be seen hereinafter.

The open side opposite the base 12 is surrounded by resilient, yieldable means 22, such as elastic tape, such that a door knob may be inserted therethrough to be accommodated within the hollow center of the door knob cover 10 and to constrict about the shaft or shank of the door knob once the cover 10 is disposed thereon. This construction is best seen in FIG. 6. As shown in FIG. 5, the resilient, yieldable means 22 is secured to the sides 14, 16, 18, 20 at their edges adjacent the open side opposite the base 12 by means including a seam 24 and suitable stitches 26 which may be placed thereon by appropriate sewing.

The corners between the sides 14, 16, 18, 20 adjacent the base 12 of the cube are also defined by seams 28 and suitably sewed stitches 30. In the case of both the seams 24 and the seams 28, the construction of the door knob cover 10 is such that the stitches 26 and 30 are disposed substantially wholly within the hollow center of the cube so as to not detract from the appearance thereof. This construction is accomplished by such steps as will be seen hereinafter.

Preferably, when the door knob cover 10 is fabricated from a textile or fabric, the surface of the interior thereof is coated with a suitable flexible plastic-like material as is well known in the textile arts. Such a coating, shown as 34 in FIGURE 4, when placed on the fabric from which the door knob cover 10 is to be formed, provides the benefit of rigidifying such fabric such that it may be more easily manipulated during the fabrication process. Additionally, many such coatings exhibit the characteristic of having a higher coefficient of friction than that of the fabric on which they are applied. As a result, such a coating in a completed door knob cover provides the additional benefit of increasing the friction between the door knob and the door knob cover to thereby decrease slippage therebetween.

The invention also comprehends a method for making a doorknob cover. By suitable cutting or the like, a polygonal blank of flexible covering material such as fabric, which may be coated as mentioned above, such as that generally indicated at 40 as seen in FIGURE 2, is formed. If desired, the step of forming the blank 40 may also include as a part thereof the forming of a plurality of notches 42 at each corner of the polygonal blank 40. It will be appreciated, however, that the forming of such notches 42 may comprise a step separate from and subsequent to the initial step of forming the blank 40.

The notches 42 are preferably formed in one of two ways. One manner in which the notch 42 may be formed, is to cut the edges 44 and 46 of each notch at a transverse angle (approximately 90) to the respective sides 48 and 50 of the polygonal blank 40 in which the notches are cut. Alternatively the notches 42 may be formed by measuring the interior angle A between adjacent sides of the polygonal blank 40 and subtracting the angle so determined from 180. The resulting quantity is the proper angular relationship between the edges 52 and 54 of each notch 42. Accordingly, the notches 42 having such an angular relationship between their edges are then formed at the corners of the polygonal blank 40. The resulting shape is that seen in solid lines in FIGURE 2. In the specific instance illustrated, the shape is that of a Grecian cross. The portion thereof labeled 12' conforms to that portion of the modified blank that will eventually be the base 12 while the portions numbered 14, 16, 18, 20' conform to the sides 14, 16, 18, 20, respectively.

The portions 14', 16', 18', and 20' of the modified blank 40 are essentially quadrangular tabs or projections from the base portion 12'. The tabs 14, 16', 18, 20', are then disposed on one side of the base portion 12' at approximately right angles thereto so that the respective edges of each notch 42 are brought into abutment with each other as is shown in FIGURE 3. If the flexible covering material includes a decorative surface, such as the pile on a fabric, it is necessary that such decorative surface be disposed within the center of the three dimensional object thus formed for purposes as will be seen hereinafter.

The respective edges of each notch 42 are then secured together as by sewing including the stitches 30 to form the seams 28. The resulting configuration is shown in FIG- URE 4.

The edges of the tabs 14', 16', 18, and 20' may then be shirred as indicated at 32 in FIGURE and the resilient, yieldahle means 22 secured thereto. The resilient, yieldable means 22, which as noted above is preferably formed from an elastic tape, is secured to such edges by appropriate sewn stitches 26 to form an external seam 24. The resulting configuration is shown in FIG- URE 5.

The product resulting from the step just described is then turned inside out such that the seams 24 and 28 and sewn stitches 26 and 30 are disposed within the center thereof. When the door knob cover is formed of a material having a decorative surface, such inversion also exposes the decorative surface and the latter is then 4 disposed on the exterior of the resulting product as shown in FIG. 6.

As best seen in FIGURE 1, which is a perspective view of a door knob cover so formed, the product formed by the method just described is of a generally polygonal configuration. The seams 28 form the corners between the sides 14, 16, 18, and 20. It will also be appreciated that the material gathered along such seams by the sewing process is disposed within the interior of the door knob cover so as to be hidden from view. Similarly, the material gathered in forming the seam 24 in sewing the resilient yieldable means 22 to the modified blank 40 is also hidden from view. By virtue of the shirring 32, the open side opposite the base 12 of the cube has a somewhat smaller area than does the base 12 and is surrounded by the resilient yieldable means such that the latter tightly surrounds the shank or shaft of the door knob to substantially secure the door knob cover 10 thereto.

As noted above, it is preferable to form the door knob cover 10 from a fabric or textile. Specifically, a plus type fabric having a substantial pile is particularly well suited for the invention.

While I have shown and described a specific embodiment of my invention, it is to be understood that it is capable of many modifications. Changes, therefore, in the construction and arrangement may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as defined in the appended claim.

I claim:

A door knob cover comprising a unitary blank offabric in the shape of a Grecian cross having a rectangular center portion and four rectangular side portions of substantially identical size each integrally secured to a different edge of the center portion, the adjacent edges of said side portions being stitched together to form said blank into a box-like structure having an open top, a friction-increasing coating on the interior sides of said box-like structure, the free edges of said side portions defining said open top being shirred to form them into a generally circular opening and a strip of elastic material secured to the free edges of said side portions and surrounding said circular opening.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 254,440 2/1882 Kurtz 1'5011 573,332 12/1892 Kress 15032 1,633,988 6/1927 Jones 52 2,121,963 6/1938 Goit 74558 2,226,866 12/ 1940 Lipschultz 15052 X 2,500,341 3/1950 Burnett 150-11 X 2,776,582 1/1957 Blades 74-558.5 X

FOREIGN PATENTS 916,729 1/ 1963 Great Britain.

JOSEPH R. LECLAIR, Primary Examiner.

FRANKLIN T. GARRETT, Examiner.

D. T. MOORHEAD, Assistant Examiner. 

